I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
A new report shows that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce pays for its political attack ads out of the same pot of money that holds all of it’s foreign donations. In other words, the trade association’s extensive campaign this year against Democratic candidates across the country could be funded with foreign cash, says the liberal organization Think Progress in the report. Chamber representatives told Politico’s Ben Smith that their foreign contributions come from corporations, not government entities, and that the funds aren’t used for political activity, although there was no explanation for how that separation occurs given that the funds are co-mingled in their bank account.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s is a 501c(6) non-profit entity, which under tax law means its members are other organizations. In addition to its stateside members, the organization sets up member associations abroad, called AmChams, through which it collects dues and other donations. According to an explanation of the tax code given by the New York Times, all donations to a 501c(6) have to be funneled into its general fund, from which all of its activities–including political activity–are funded.
The Chamber is the largest lobbying organization in the United States, and has emerged as an aggressive player in political campaigns, giving mostly to Republican candidates.
Among it’s political positions, the association is staunchly for trade policies that allow unfettered movement of business activity, with it’s president, Tom Donahue, on the record in support of outsourcing. Democratic candidates have been more inclined than Republicans to criticize such policies due to the impact of “out-sourcing,” in which American jobs are relocated overseas.
The issue of jobs moving overseas has popped up in attack ads by both NM-CD1 congressional candidates. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Republican candidate Jon Barela in that race and is expected to begin running ads today in the New Mexico market against Democratic Congressman Martin Heinrich.
